Zane's POV Seeing Belle now, sitting just across the table, her eyes avoiding mine at every turn, made the drinks I had picked up earlier seem pointless. I had been so convinced I’d need something strong to get through this evening, but now, they felt like a weight I didn’t want to carry.Amanda, ever the lively one, caught my quiet demeanor and decided to poke fun at it. “So, Zane,” she started with a teasing smirk, “are you really as obedient as you look, or are you just pretending for tonight?”Fletcher, never one to miss an opportunity, chuckled beside me. “As if,” he said, nudging me with his elbow. “Depends on what you mean. I tend to be very obedient except when it comes to somewhere more quiet and intimate," I replied, glancing over at Belle briefly.She sure was still immersed in her glass of juice.“He's a male whore!" Amanda exclaimed and we all laughed. Thankfully the kids were engrossed with a game and their chattering a few feets away. “That would be Fletcher before
Belle's POV Damn! This room only got hotter. Zane's presence was more than enough torture, but his gaze made me feel suffocated. Before the dance floor, Amanda's question made me curious, but he did not give a response.I could not help but wonder if Zane was actually into those kinds of things and sort of ladies. If he was, then was he playing with me? Or was that why he said he could not love me?I sighed as I made my way back to my seat from the dance floor. As I was about to sit, I noticed his eyes following my movements, making me hyper-aware of every move I made.It wasn’t just his eyes, though. It was the way his hands had lingered on my waist while we danced earlier, the gentle pressure that had left an imprint on my skin long after the music had ended. His touch had been firm, but now it felt like it was aiding his eyes in their pursuit, roaming over me in ways that made my skin tingle and my heart race.As memories of his kisses and the way his hands had once trailed over
Zane's POV I reached out, gently cupping her face in my hands, his touch warm and comforting. “Belle, you don’t have to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you either.” She leaned into my touch and I felt like I was making some headway, but she suddenly pulled away. She wrapped her arms around herself. “You don’t understand, Zane. I’m not just dealing with the usual kind of problems. It’s deeper than that, more complicated. And I don’t want to put you in a position where you might end up regretting it.” I looked at her with so much concern. I could not bear to know that she was going through a lot and I did nothing about it. “Belle, I don’t care how complicated it is. I’m not going anywhere.” She shook her head. “Please, Zane,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Just... let it go.” “Belle—” Zane started, but I cut him off. “Please, Zane,” I said, my voice pleading. “Can we just... drop it? For now?” “Fuck that, Belle,” I
Belle's POV“Where are the kids?” I asked, looking around the empty room with a confused gaze.Zeke turned to us with a grin. “They’re already in bed. Amanda took them upstairs a few minutes ago.”Kamille’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she glanced between Zane and me. “We were just about to head to bed ourselves,” she said, her voice laced with amusement. “But if you two need a room—”Before she could finish her sentence, I cut her off, my face flushing with embarrassment. “Actually, I’ll be heading home right away,” I said quickly, my voice a little too loud. I could feel Zane stiffen beside me, and I didn’t need to look at him to know he was just as flustered.“Yeah, me too,” Zane stuttered, clearly taken aback by Kamille’s teasing.Kamille’s smile widened, but she didn’t press further. “Alright then,” she said, hugging me tightly. “Drive safely, okay?”“Goodnight,” I murmured, returning her hug before stepping back. I turned to Zane and offered a quick, somewhat awkward smile. “G
Belle's POVA week had passed since the confrontation with Dave’s mother, but it felt like a lifetime. Each day dragged on, and with every passing hour, I felt more and more like I was slipping away from myself. The days blurred together. I spent most of my time idly, staring out the window or sipping on cocktails that did little to numb the ache in my chest. And this cool breezy evening, I was doing just that. Nursing a drink in the sitting room, when my mother’s voice cut through the silence. She was on the phone, speaking in rapid Italian with a designer about the wedding dress the Scott family had ordered for me. My wedding dress. I scoffed at the absurdity of it. It was supposed to arrive soon, and I would have to go for fittings, try on the gown that symbolized the end of everything I had once dreamed for myself.I gulped down the cocktail rapidly.The call ended, and my mother re-entered the room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. She looked at me, her exp
Zane's POV I leaned back in my chair, staring blankly at the half-written report on my laptop screen. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to Belle. It had been days since the party at Zeke’s mansion, and I hadn’t heard a word from her since. No replies to my messages, no returned calls—just silence. The more I thought about it, the tighter the knot in my chest grew, until I finally snapped.With a frustrated sigh, I shut my laptop aggressively, the sound echoing in the quiet office.“Whoa, calm down, man,” Fletcher said from across the room, glancing up from his own work. He raised an eyebrow at me, his tone careful but curious. “Whatever it is, be calm.”I loosened my tie, feeling like it was strangling me, and pushed back from the desk. “Calm?” I muttered under my breath as I walked over to the small bar we kept in the office. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey, my hands trembling slightly as I poured a generous amount into a glass. The burn of the alcoho
Belle's POV The ride home with Dave was suffocating, the silence between us thicker than the humid night air. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to meet his gaze, keeping mine fixed on the passing streetlights that blurred into a hazy mess. I wanted nothing more than to disappear, to escape this nightmare that I’d willingly walked into—or had been pushed into, more like it. The evening had been a parade of fake smiles and hollow congratulations, all of it making me feel like a mannequin on display rather than a bride-to-be. My thoughts were spinning, tangled in a web of doubt and dread, when Dave finally broke the silence.“Belle,” he said softly, leaning in closer as if he could melt away the cold distance between us with just his voice. “I know tonight was a lot. But I’m here for you, okay? We’re in this together.”His hand reached for mine, but I pulled away, my fingers curling into a fist on my lap. I could feel him hesitate, and then he tried again, his hand brushing ag
Belle's POVZane’s arms were wrapped around me, his touch like a warm blanket shielding me from the cold reality outside. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, strong and steady, grounding me in this moment that felt too perfect to be real. My breath hitched as his lips moved against my neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. I moaned, unable to stop the sound from escaping as I clung to him, wanting to melt into his embrace, to forget everything else.“I missed you so much,” I whispered, my voice trembling with emotions that I kept bottled up for far too long.“Shush,” Zane murmured, his lips brushing against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “I know you did, Belle. I’m here now.”“Promise me,” I said, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. “Promise you won’t leave me, even if I try to push you away.”He smiled, that crooked smile that always made my heart skip a beat. “I’ll never leave you, Belle. Not ever.”His words were a balm to my aching heart, and b